Top Primary Care Programs

[jdwmont]

I'm interested in hearing opinions regarding the residency programs that best prepare graduates for a career in primary care. I'm especially interested in protected clinic time & rotations in non-IM departments (eg, derm, ophtho, sports med). It would be great to get a list of such programs going.

Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[gutonc]

I'm interested in hearing opinions regarding the residency programs that best prepare graduates for a career in primary care. I'm especially interested in protected clinic time & rotations in non-IM departments (eg, derm, ophtho, sports med). It would be great to get a list of such programs going.

Thanks

I don't have a list as such, but one could argue that any decent program with a primary care track will allow such options (although admittedly, many programs with PC tracks don't have separate applications in ERAS so may be harder to find). In fact, I wasn't primary care, was research pathway (so only did 2 years of IM) and I did a month of derm and 2 weeks of sports med.

I'm not trying to dissuade you from making such a list, just pointing out that it's not going to be inclusive and by relying on it, you run the risk of missing great programs that would give you the options you seek.

 

[coffeebeanjenn]

US News & World Report ranks top primary care programs, in addition to internal medicine. You could start there.

 

[machomed]

I'm interested in hearing opinions regarding the residency programs that best prepare graduates for a career in primary care. I'm especially interested in protected clinic time & rotations in non-IM departments (eg, derm, ophtho, sports med). It would be great to get a list of such programs going.

Thanks

There is infortunately little in the way of guidance about primary care tracks, at least at my home institution.
I would say that different programs have different goals for the tracks. Some want to train the best doctors to be PCPs and leaders for under served populations. I think the best programs for this are the SFGH program at UCSF, and Montefiores program.
For broad, strong training in becoming a good clinician for a normal population of patients, I would say that UWash has the strongest program.
If you want to do academic primary care and focus on health systems, the the HVMA program at Brigham, the UCPC program at UCSF, and the MGH program are likely the best. Note that many of the top 20 programs do not offer a track but may still offer good training.
I think that the main advantages of a PC program over categorical programs are that 1) you get first choice if unique/interesting clinics in some situations. 2) you are part of a community of like minded people within your overall program with whom you can develop as a PCPS. 3) There is often an interesting didactic and group learning component to the training. Yes, you may be given a bit more outpatient time during training, but actually many categorical programs would allow you to set up all your elective time in 2nd and 3rd year to be interesting outpatient experiences.

 

[infarct]

US News & World Report ranks top primary care programs, in addition to internal medicine. You could start there.

start anywhere but there! those lists are meaningless when it comes to clinical training...

 

[CAPiTAtwo]

Good to hear someone else wants to do Primary Care. I felt like at almost every one of my interviews, I was the lone applicant looking to do Primary Care.

Heres my take on it:

I focused only in the midwest, and did not get interviews at most of the way top tier programs (UMich, Mayo, UChicago, Pitt, Penn).

Primary Care tracks are available at MCW, Iowa, Minnesota, Cleveland Clinic, Ohio State, and Wisconsin. Most are separate rank numbers, but others are just different pathways within the Categorical IM program.

The way that they aim more towards PCP training is in sacrificing some other portion of the training for more ambulatory time. Most residents say that by the time they are going through their second year, they are comfortable working inpatient wards but still a bit lost with outpatient management, so taking away inpatient time to add more outpatient time is a good trade-off.

OSU cuts back on consult months, Minnesota cuts back on repeating subspecialty inpatient months, and others do some combo of the above. Most of these programs will also give you more Continuity Clinic time (the usual 1/2 day a week, +another 1/2 day a week on outpatient months).

The big area of variability is how ambulatory months are scheduled. Some have solid months doing some certain clinic - primary care, cards, GI clinic, etc., but others split time so that you spend half of your week in continuity clinic and half in various subspecialty clinics.

I am of the opinion that immersion outpatient experience is important, but you'll figure out how you feel about things after hearing a few interview pitches.

I felt that Wisconsin, MCW, OSU, and Minnesota would all be great Primary Care training programs. Madison takes their indigenous and rural care very seriously. Minnesota has 5 of their 8 chiefs going into Primary Care.

Cleveland Clinic did not appear to be a good place to train for GIM/Primary Care. I am absolutely sure that the training there is very strong and have worked with incredible IM attendings who trained there, but I just got a bad feeling about going there for primary care.

If you want to build a list, do a FRIEDA search for areas you'd be interested in, and it will list whether or not they offer Primary Care and/or Hospitalist tracks.

 

[icaruswalks]

OHSU has a great primary care track, with a great associate PD for primary care internal medicine. IMHO.